Learn Paragliding

I feel a little like Mary Poppins floating through the sky -- if the British nanny were soaring at 1,900 feet. But I'm not clutching an umbrella; I'm sitting in a harness with a padded seat and back, suspended beneath a bright blue canopy. It's a paraglider -- an aircraft so small you can carry it on your back, and one of the best ways to fly.

I've been a paraglider pilot for five years, and my wife and I have soared through skies above Hawaii, Brazil, France and Utah. But if you're not familiar with paragliding (and a lot of people aren't), here are the basics: A paraglider is an unpowered aircraft, kind of like a hang glider or a sailplane. It's foot-launched -- you run down a hill with the paraglider wing behind you to propel yourself into the sky, kind of like flying a kite. However, it lacks the rigid frame of a hang glider -- a parachute is a closer relative, but still a different beast. Unlike a parachute, which only goes down, the flexible wing of a paraglider can ascend in updrafts created by wind and sun. I've been on two-hour paraglider flights and climbed as high as 5,000 feet above the mountains, circling like a hawk in updrafts called "thermals."

Paragliding adds a new dimension to travel -- you can go flying after you've flown somewhere. A paraglider and its harness fit into a large backpack that can be hiked up mountains or thrown on the conveyor at the airport with your other luggage. But you don't have to go very far to learn to be a paraglider pilot or to practice the sport. The Capital Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association ( http://www.chgpa.org ) maintains sites in the nearby mountains. And the mountains of the mid-Atlantic are beautiful, especially when you're looking down on them.

WHAT TO EXPECT: First things first: Before running off of a mountain and soaring for hours like a bird, you'll have to spend a lot of time on the ground. An introductory lesson focuses on inflating and keeping the wing overhead while still on flat ground (called "kiting"). You'll learn different techniques to get off the ground, and after kiting the wing several times, students run off a 30-foot-high training hill to try a few seconds in the sky. With each lesson, students move higher on training hills -- up to 150 feet -- while learning to launch, steer and land. At least five flying days are required to receive certification from the United States Hang Gliding Association as a novice paraglider pilot.

WHAT TO BRING: Wear lightweight clothes -- long pants are best, because you'll spend time on your knees while learning. The lines on the glider can abrade your hands, so wear half-finger bicycle gloves, available at sporting-goods stores. Sneakers will do, but lightweight hikers with ankle support are better. Sunscreen, sunglasses, insect repellent and a hat are also recommended. All other equipment will be provided during the lessons.

COST: Want to try it once? Individual lessons range from $100 to $150. If you're still keen on it after your first try, a certification training package runs about $1,200. And if you get really serious, a new paraglider, harness and helmet will set you back between $4,000 and $5,000.

WHERE TO LEARN

East Winds Paragliding. Arlington, Va. 703-772-2039. Air conditioning contractor Juan Ortiz also teaches paragliding. He provides transportation from Arlington to training sites near Fredericksburg and Charlottesville. Individual lessons are $150 each. A $1,200 fee will get you certified to a P2, or novice, rating from the USHGA.

Fly West Virginia. 2403 Webster Rd., Webster Springs, W.Va. 304-847-7765. http://www.flywv.com . The paragliding school offers training for beginners and more advanced pilots. Initial training spots are about five hours from the District. A three- to five-hour introduction to paragliding is $100. A complete certification package is $1,200.

Sky High. Bryn Mawr, Pa. 610-527-1687. William Umstattd literally will pull you into the sky, conditions permitting. He uses a 200-foot piece of line to yank advanced students into the sky like a kite so they can experience higher altitudes during training. Instruction is provided at hills in southeastern Pennsylvania, for $100 per lesson. -- Matthew Graham

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